A Lion's Roar
by thatgirlwithonedimple
Summary: As Bellatrix seeps deeper and deeper into the Dark Lord's embraces, Rodolphus hopelessly tries to snap her back into reality and make up for his childish mistakes. But sometimes, apologies are never forgotten- and they are never truly forgiven.


I place my hands softly against her damp cheeks, turning her head slightly to face me. I gently brush my thumb under her eye, wiping away an unwanted tear. "Bella," I murmur, wanting her to know everything is okay.

She squeezes her eyes shut and even jerks her head a little to pull away. "Rod, please—"

"No, listen to me," I take a deep breath, I can't mess this up again. "Okay, if I told you that society doesn't exist, where no one can judge us or hurt us or tell us what's wrong, where there are no laws, no rules, not even…the Dark Lord himself. If I told you that it's just you and me, and me and you…would you love me?"

I watch her emotions battle across her face. Her mouth opens to say something, then immediately shuts closed. She tries to meet my eyes, but quickly avoids them once we make eye contact. My heart's pounding. I need to know. I can't stand seeing her get hurt over and over again. I want her to know that I'll always be there for her when the Dark Lord never will be. I know what's going through her mind though; she knows how awful people can get when she makes a careless mistake. She knows that whatever decision she makes, people will judge her and destroy her. She's deciding whether I'm worth all the drama, or if I'm just a waste of time. And then her eyes sharpen. She looks straight into my eyes with an intensity I've never seen in her before. And I'm just waiting to hear one word from her that could change my life forever:

"No."

I pause. My almost-smile disappears piece by piece. In that moment, I feel like the whole world stops moving, stops working. My arms fall from her side, letting go of her, freeing her. She isn't mine to keep. I'm not hers to want. "Bellatrix—"

"I said, no, Rodolphus!" she speaks, partly in frustration, partly in pain.

"You're still in love with him, aren't you?" my voice rose to match hers, "the Dark Lord?"

Just the sound of his name sends her eyes sparkling. Bellatrix nods slightly and whispers, "I always have."

I take her cold hands in mine and try to warm them. "Bella, he doesn't love you—"

"Yes, he does! You don't know him!" she yanks her hands away, and starts walking in the other direction.

"I know how he treats you." Bellatrix stops in her tracks, and I could tell she didn't want me to continue. Which is why I did. "I know how he treats you. He doesn't care for you, but he needs you. Look, you're a very talented witch, and he's a very powerful man. But to him, you're just another soldier. You're a skilled soldier, a _valuable_ soldier even. And that's why he needs to protect you. Not out of love, not out of lust. Out of his growing thirst for power," I wait a few seconds to let that sink in. "I can and I _will_ protect you, Bella. I always ha—"

"Don't say you've always protected me, Rodolphus, because I know you haven't!" she whips around and glares at him. "You weren't there for me when I needed you. And I don't need you anymore."

"Oh, and the Dark Lord has _always _been there for you?"

"Yes! He has!"

"He doesn't mean it, Bella!" my voice rings through the air and I lower my voice. "He's going to do whatever it takes to keep you. One day, he'll realize you're not as talented as he thinks you are, and he'll give up on you and throw you away like the rest of us."

"He wouldn't—"

"He _would_ and he _will_!"

She looks away from me. Doubting. Deciding. It pains me to see her so vulnerable and helpless. Her guard is down and her shield is broken…because I shot it so many times.

"Bellatrix, I hate seeing you get hurt."

"You're the only one hurting me!" And she's off again. Her stubbornness is refusing to admit my claims. "I don't love you, Rodolphus. So stop thinking you love me. The Dark Lord would never—"

"To hell with the Dark Lord already!" I roar over her. A lion's roar.

Bella gasps. At me. At what I said. At who I am. And I keep shaking my head at the girl who's become so involved with a man who knew he couldn't really love her back. But Bella only sees me shaking my head in apology for my words.

"I love him, Rodolphus."

"Bella, please—"

"No, I do. I love him and he loves me. We're going to be happy together. We're going to have a beautiful future together. Me and you, we were just a broken past, with bits and pieces of it scattered in the wind. The Dark Lord knows what's best for me," she leans in closer to me, our faces just inches apart. And I miss the days where I had permission to press my lips against hers and run my fingers through her hair. "And if you knew what was best for yourself, you'd forget all about us and leave me alone."

I watch her leave. I let her walk away into the arms of a heartless, power-hungry man. A man who would also cause her pain. Except this time…this time, she would accept it.


End file.
